The Lok Sabha Speaker, Ms Meira Kumar, on Tuesday decided to allow discussion on a calling attention notice given by the Opposition leader, Ms Sushma Swaraj, on the Telangana issue on August 5. Political leaders of various Telangana outfits had met Ms Swaraj recently demanding that the BJP, which supports Telangana statehood, raise the issue in Parliament. Accordingly she gave the notice and it was conceded to by the Speaker.

However, the political observers say that Sushma Swaraj's move to raise T issue on 5 August has benefitted the UPA government as the NDA and the UPA on Tuesday agreed to discuss the issue of price rise in a joint resolution on Wednesday. With this, the government appears to have foiled the Opposition's plan to compel it to go in for a floor test in the Lok Sabha on the issue of price rise.

On the price rise and corruption issues, the Opposition was keen on voting with the calculation that a trial of strength would expose the government and the fence-sitters. But government floor managers finally succeeded in convincing the Opposition, especially the BJP-led NDA, to hold a meaningful debate. The BJP had been adamant on separate discussions on price rise and corruption but the government had certain reservations. NEW DELHI After a few rounds of discussions between the UPA and the NDA, the wording of the resolution on discussion of price rise and corruption was tweaked to suit both of them.

The resolution, which will express the feelings of the House, will call upon the government to take immediate steps to check the rising prices of essential commodities. Mr Yashwant Sinha (BJP), Mr Sharad Yadav (Janata Dal-U) and Mr K.S. Rao (Congress) will move the resolution.